One consideration: does an iPad have a wrist-loop or something similar, as my camera (like most others, I'd imagine) does - my tablet certainly doesn't? Maybe I'm paranoid, but accidentally dropping the thing or leaving it somewhere in an absent-minded moment strikes me as more of a risk than anything else.

Tourist or not, people using a tablet to take photos look ridiculous. That being said, if your friend wants to use their iPad to take photos then let them use it but first show them how to turn off that annoying shutter sound and how to turn off the flash.



menachem , an Olioclip is $70 ( http://amzn.to/1cMiGOa ). At that price you are already halfway to the price point of a digital camera that will take better pics AND have a real optical zoom ( http://amzn.to/1JVWn3w and http://amzn.to/1cMj1QQ and http://amzn.to/1L46T8Y for example).

Indeed. But in photographing it's the camera you actually have on you that counts. I photograph with my iPhone a lot. Having good lens options for $70 dollars to me is a good deal. I do own other cameras though.

I always teach photography students to "zoom with their feet, not with the cameras". I'm not a zoom person anyway.

I agree 100%: the best camera is the one you have with you. I have a DSLR, two P&S, and my smartphone. Even though I probably should, I don't take my DSLR (or P&S) out with me on a daily basis and as a result the vast majority of pics I take are with my phone.


I also agree on "zooming with your feet", but that's not always practicable or desirable.

I have an iPad mini.

I am one of those nerds who always wears a jacket or blazer in the city.

The side pocket holds the mini, thus it is most often the camera I have with me.

It takes nice snapshots, and I can do simple editing and email the photos home without downloading them to my computer.

It has amazing depth of field but does not handle low light situations particularly well. I have looked for a tripod-bipod-monopod adapter, but all the reviews on Amazon are fairly lousy.

I have a nice Canon P&S that I use if I am planning to take pictures of anything that is moving.

I wish people with the mobile phones would learn that they can turn off that stupid shutter sound. It's like people using flash in a stadium to take pictures of a game, only even more annoying to others in the audience.

The iPad Mini has a f/2.4 lens so it better have a good DOF!

No MmePerdu. When I say she doesn't like look like a tourist I mean it. She's living over in Europe right now and tries to go to great lengths to look European. She will tolerate me taking out my camera and cringes when I take the iPad out. My last trip with her, I only took about 10 pictures with the iPad and she still didn't like it. I still think it's her issue not mine.

People wearing pajamas in public don't have a problem with their attire either.

Your friends have been to Italy, so they have a fair idea of traveling in Europe. Let them do what they want.

If you have an extra, small, decent quality camera, you might bring it along, and if they get tired of lugging the I-pad, offer them the camera.

Otherwise, do not stress about this. Put it out of your mind and enjoy the trip.

"Tourist or not, people using a tablet to take photos look ridiculous."

Amen.